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Samoa have the potential to blow Pool D wide open when they take on Argentina in Saint-Etienne this evening. Seilala Mapusua\u2019s men secured a bonus point win over Chile last time out, despite playing far from their best, and come into tonight\u2019s Rugby World Cup clash sitting second in the Pool. <\/p>\n
Victory over Argentina will put Samoa on level points with England making the final Pool games more intriguing than expected. Argentina, meanwhile, will hope to improve from their opener against Steve Borthwick\u2019s men. Michael Cheika\u2019s Pumas entered the tournament with hopes of topping Pool D but struggled to exert themselves on the contest. <\/p>\n
Now, they face the prospect of an early exit and must click into geat against a solid Samoan side some pushing for a last eight place. How will the Pumas fare this evening?<\/p>\n
Follow all the action from the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. Plus get the latest Rugby World Cup odds here.<\/em><\/p>\n Centre Santiago Chocobares spoke of the threat that Samoa pose when given space. He said: \u201cIf we give their players space, it will be a long afternoon. Their centres are very strong and when they have the ball in their hands, they put their team on the front foot. Our challenge is to have a good defence and generate attacking opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe couldn\u2019t have prepared better for this game. It was a nice week of training, so we will be ready. Regarding the Samoans centres, I have played against them in the Top 14 so I know they are good players, physically and technically.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is my first Rugby World Cup, for me everything is new: every game, every moment, every preparation we are doing. I\u2019m living it like this, as if it were my first and last World Cup. This pressure that has been talked about and the importance of the game tomorrow, we have to put it aside and enjoy these moments before a big game.\u201d<\/p>\n Before the match, Argentina assistant coach Felipe Contepomi spoke of the team\u2019s wealth of experience on the bench, in particular Tom\u00e1s Cubelli and Nicol\u00e1s S\u00e1nchez. He said: \u201cThe way we selected the bench was strategic as in the previous game. We almost always go with three backs, although perhaps the difference was in the last game (only two). Changing this is pure strategy according to what we want to do in certain circumstances of the game.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously having such experienced players on the bench or on the field is very good. Cubelli, S\u00e1nchez and Creevy have a lot of experience and could be very beneficial if they have to come on at some point in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n If Argentina\u2019s Nicolas Sanchez is used in this match he\u2019ll earn his 99th cap but has played just 114 minutes of test rugby this season. He\u2019s the country\u2019s all-time leading points scorer (863), and the most capped back-line player. <\/p>\n Michael Cheika has also made three changes, including the addition of experienced back Mat\u00edas Moroni who starts at 13. Joining him in the starting team are Eduardo Bello and Guido Petti in the front and second row.<\/p>\n Argentina XV: Juan Cruz Mallia, Emiliano Boffelli, Mat\u00edas Moroni, Santiago Chocobares, Mateo Carreras, Santiago Carreras, Gonzalo Bertranou Thomas Gallo, Julian Montoya (capt.), Eduardo Bello,Guido Petti Pagadizabal, Matias Alemanno, Pablo Matera, Marcos Kremer, Juan Martin Gonzalez<\/p>\n Replacements:\u00a0 Agust\u00edn Creevy, Mayco Vivas, Francisco G\u00f3mez Kodela, Pedro Rubiolo, Rodrigo Bruni, Tomas Cubelli, Nicolas Sanchez, Lucio Cinti<\/p>\n The 2023 Rugby World Cup got under way on Friday 8 September as hosts France beat New Zealand in an entertaining curtain-raiser in Paris to get a first result on the board.<\/p>\n Pools A and B are stacked with some of the world\u2019s heavyweight nations and sees South Africa, Ireland and Scotland battling to qualify from the same group. On the other side of the draw, two of Wales, Australia, Fiji, England, Argentina and Japan are likely to reach the semi-finals.<\/p>\n On the opening weekend there were impressive results for South Africa over Scotland, Wales who edged out Fiji, Australia who beat Georgia and England who saw off Argentina, while Ireland, Italy and Japan all racked up big wins.<\/p>\n The 2023 Rugby World Cup is under way in France <\/p>\n After months of toil and trouble, it took a Marseille cauldron for England to find their magic brew. It may not prove the elixir of Rugby World Cup life but on a night that threatened disaster after Tom Curry\u2019s third-minute sending off at a bubbling Stade Velodrome, England came to the boil.<\/p>\n The win was an odd concoction, a convincing final margin even with Argentina scoring the encounter\u2019s only try two minutes from time. It was a night for leaders, and England\u2019s stood up. Courtney Lawes led the defensive effort, Manu Tuilagi and Maro Itoje were back to their best. But it was George Ford, playing the pragmatist, who took control to kick England to a faith-restoring victory.<\/p>\n Ford\u2019s 27 points came from nine strikes of his right boot, three drop goals, six from the tee. English fly halves tend to enjoy the World Cup stage, and Ford\u2019s performance here was a display of command, correctness and clarity. Not all ills are cured, clearly, but how England needed this sort of showing, their fire finally burning in the south of France heat.<\/p>\n England 27-10 Argentina: Steve Borthwick\u2019s side survived Tom Curry\u2019s early sending off as their fly half kicked them to a faith-restoring victory<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Head coach Seilala Mapusua has made just three changes to last week\u2019s victorious team against Chile. Paul Alo-Emile and Brian Alainu\u2019u\u2019ese join the forwards in the front and second-row, while Ben Lam moves to the wing.<\/p>\n Samoa XV: Duncan Paia\u2019aua, Nigel Ah-Wong, Ulupano Junior Seuteni, Tumua Manu, Ben Lam, Christian Leali\u2019ifano, Jonathan Taumateine, James Lay, Seilala Lam, Paul Alo-Emile, Brian Alainu\u2019u\u2019ese, Chris Vui (capt.), Theo McFarland, Fritz Lee, Steven Luatua<\/p>\n Replacements: Sama Malolo, Charlie Faumuina, Michael Alaalatoa,Taleni Junior Agaese Seu, Sa Jordan Taufua, Melani Matavao, Alai D\u2019Angelo Leuila, Danny Toala<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Argentina assistant coach Felipe Contepomi said the Pumas do not need a new mentality for Friday’s Pool D clash against Samoa, they just needed to avoid the mistakes they made against England in their World Cup opener.<\/p>\n The 27-10 loss to an England side who played with 14 men for most of the match have triggered some nerves among fans of the twice World Cup semi-finalists, not helped by the almost two-week wait for their second fixture.<\/p>\n Contepomi, though, said the squad had faith in the structures they had put in place under Michael Cheika over the last 18 months and just needed to execute properly at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.<\/p>\n “I do respect every opinion, but what’s important is what we think,” he told reporters through a translator on Thursday.<\/p>\n “We prepared well for the England game. We’re not looking to change our mentality but just not to make the same mistakes we made against England. Every game is a new match and we’re confident in the work we have done.<\/p>\n “The easiest way to have a good result is to have a good game. And to do that we have to focus on everything we can control and nothing else.”<\/p>\n Argentina have played Samoa only four times and not since 2005, but Contepomi said the availability of video meant the few Pacific islanders who did not play at the top level would be familiar enough.<\/p>\n “We haven’t played Samoa for a long time but most of their players are playing in Europe so they play week in, week out against our players also they know each other pretty well,” he added.<\/p>\n Samoa have won three of the four matches against the Pumas, including victories at the 1991 and 1995 World Cups.<\/p>\n Contepomi said although the Pumas were not taking Samoa lightly, such results were hardly relevant given the strides made in Argentinian rugby since they reached the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 2007.<\/p>\n “Which team between Argentina and Samoa have improved most?” he asked.<\/p>\n “I can’t tell you, but I can tell you that Argentina since 2007 have had the chance to regularly play tier one teams. The possibilities of evolution for Samoa were not as great.” <\/p>\nRecommended<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nChocobares: \u2018If we give their players space, it will be a long afternoon'<\/h3>\n
Contepomi: \u2018The way we selected the bench was strategic'<\/h3>\n
A potential 99th cap for Sanchez <\/h3>\n
Argentina team<\/h3>\n
Rugby World Cup results in full<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/09\/06\/15\/2023-09-04T090926Z_12386583_UP1EJ940PFO14_RTRMADP_3_RUGBY-UNION-WORLDCUP-OPENING-CONFERENCE.JPG\")
<\/p>\nEvery Rugby World Cup 2023 match result so far<\/h3>\n
George Ford plays the pragmatist as England finally come to the boil in Marseille cauldron<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2023\/09\/09\/21\/newFile.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFord plays the pragmatist as England finally come to the boil in Marseille cauldron<\/h3>\n
Samoa team<\/h3>\n
Rugby World Cup 2023: Argentina v Samoa<\/h3>\n